Archdiocese to close four schools; assisting students, families and teachers with upcoming transition

HOUSTON - Persistently low enrollment and other serious financial challenges, further aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have forced the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston today to announce it is closing four Catholic schools following the current academic year. The Catholic Schools Office started informing the Pastors and Principals of the respective school communities April 20.

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Queen of Peace and St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Schools in Houston and St. Pius V Catholic School in Pasadenawere informed of this painful but necessary decision.

In recent years, the four affected schools each individually hadenrollments of fewer than 100 students and had seen sharp decreases in overall enrollment in the last five years. With a total current enrollment of 257 students, the four schools hadbeen utilizing less than 40 percent of their capacity and had required extensive, additional Archdiocesan financial support.

"Unfortunately, this global crisis has gravely affected the Archdiocese and our ability to financially sustain every school," said Debra Haney, Superintendent of Catholic Schools. "With parishioners across the Archdiocese being hit with uncertainty in their jobs, offertory donations and contributions to parishes and schools have been significantly reduced. Our parishes and schools and the Chancery offices have had to weigh the unspeakably difficult sacrifices of having to furlough and let go of their staff members."

"This was a very difficult decision for all of us with the Archdiocese to make, especially during a very difficult time for so many," said Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston. "Catholic schools strive to educate the whole person and the declining enrollment in these schools made it more challenging to fulfill that mission. We had hoped that we would have more time to help these affected schools work through their significant challenges, but the cataclysmic effects of this pandemic have left us with no options – which breaks our hearts. That said, the timing of this announcement was intended to give both families and teachers the maximum amount of time to prepare for the upcoming transition."

The Archdiocese will offer the families of the 257 students enrolled at the four closing schools the opportunity to receive a one-time credit toward their tuition at another Catholic school next year. Additionally, the Catholic Schools Office will work to place the principals and teachers from the schools identified for closure in new positions.

“Closing schools is a situation that we have prayed fervently would pass us by, but it now looms before us. I am truly sorrowful that this is the situation that we are in at this time. We have always been one family of Catholic Schools, united in faith and mission and the loss of any Catholic school diminishes us in spirit more than I can express," Haney said. "It is with heavy hearts but with enduring faith that we move forward to close out the academic year."